Castro Resigns....Now What?

Castro has stepped down as Cuban head of state. What does Castro's resignation mean for human rights in Cuba, specifically religious freedom?

Fidel Castro is ending his 49-year rule of Cuba, and pundits, scholars, historians, and everyday people are now lining up to help define the Cuban leader's legacy. While I certainly have quite a few opinions about Fidel Castro, I want to focus this blog on what Castro's resignation might mean for religious freedom in Cuba.

Castro's Cuba has long regulated religious activity. Religious groups are asked to register with the government, and are encouraged to remain apolitical. (Though, of course, if they choose to be pro-Castro and/or pro-Revolution, that is presumably okay). Those groups that choose not to register are, according to the US State Department, subjected to "varying degrees of official interference, harassment, and repression."

Fidel Castro has always been vision-driven. Wayne Smith, a progressive scholar sympathetic to Castro and his agenda, acknowledges Castro's repressive record. Says Smith: "Castro was convinced that he was right, and that his system was for the good of the people. Thus, anyone who stood against the revolution stood also against the Cuban people and that, in Castro’s eyes, was simply unacceptable."

It is easy to see how Fidel Castro justified his regulation of religious activities in Cuba and his repression of those religious groups that remained outside his control - just as he has justified (in the words of Human Rights Watch) Cuba's "denial of basic civil and political rights" across the board.

With Castro's departure, we can hope and pray that the winds of freedom will soon blow in Cuba, and that Cuba will recognize the rights of its people to practice their faith openly and without fear.